What is the Ohio Coordinating Center for ACT (OCCA)?

The Ohio Coordinating Center for ACT (OCCA) was created to promote ACT as an evidence-based practice not only within the state of Ohio, but across the country as well. When implemented according to the model, ACT teams can expect certain results with clients, such as housing stability, reduced hospitalizations, and other positive outcomes.

What does the Ohio Coordinating Center for ACT do?

OCCA is a resource for current and future Ohio ACT teams and for Ohio communities who are interested in learning more about the ACT model. The ACT Center has three overall tasks:

  • Training and Technical Assistance: Promote ACT throughout the state of Ohio, including introducing stakeholders to the ACT model, training providers in ACT, and consulting with established and developing ACT teams.
    • At the end of fiscal year 2009 there were 40 ACT teams covering 24 Ohio counties and serving approximately 2,300 individuals.
  • Quality Improvement: Work with stakeholders to assist with ACT implementation efforts and improving services according to the model.
    • OCCA completes fidelity assessments for ACT teams and assists them in developing a QI plan based on that assessment.
  • Policy Change Through Advocacy: Collaborate with state agencies, and community leaders to develop strategies and promote services which engage adults with serious mental illness who are “un-reached” by traditional services.
    • OCCA authored and successfully passed (into Ohio Administrative Code) the ACT Certification Standard and are helping to create the only evidence –based community practice for adults with severe mental illness returning from prison.

What support do we offer communities and ACT Teams?

  • ACT curriculum and training
  • Resource for explicit principles, guidelines, and implementation criteria for ACT
  • Resource library including dvd, training materials, research articles, fact sheets, and referral sources for consultation
  • Website and connection to a monitored list serve to facilitate rapid exchange of information and ideas among stakeholders
  • Consultations and technical assistance to ACT teams
  • Networking across state agencies and advocacy groups

Ohio Coordinating Center for ACT Consultation, Training, and Technical Assistance

The Ohio Coordinating Center for ACT (OCCA) provides consultation, training, and technical assistance to mental health stakeholders and community leadership organizations. Each consultation package is individualized according to the stakeholder’s needs, goals and role within the larger mental health system. The following are example focus areas in which OCCA can provide assistance- this is not a comprehensive list, but rather serves as example topics and areas which OCCA consultation and training can address. Again, because consultation packages are designed based on individual need, organizations interested in working with OCCA can receive assistance in any combination of the following examples. Please contact Jon Ramos at (513) 458-6684 to discuss consultation design based on your organization’s needs and goals.

Implementation of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)

OCCA provides training and technical assistance to help organizations set up and roll out ACT services according to the model. The need for ACT services often presents itself as a solution to a specific problem (e.g. over expenditure on unsuccessful services or response to existing service gaps).

Utilization of ACT as a Recovery-Focused, Cost-Effective Service

Assertive Community Treatment is a recovery-focused model in that it incorporates the client as an active part of the treatment team and it approaches treatment from a team-based, holistic perspective. Stakeholders often implement ACT as an evidence-based practice focused on recovery rather than “maintenance”. Although there are some (predictable) start-up costs, ACT is often more cost-effective for the population served than traditional case management or other mental health services.

ACT Implementation and Program Development

Once implementation of ACT begins, research suggests it takes a program 3 years to reach a level of high-fidelity. OCCA provides consultation, training, and technical assistance along this 3 year continuum to help an organization begin ACT services and develop into a high-fidelity ACT program- as evidenced by not only the DACTS score, but by facilitating recovery and improved outcomes with their clients.

ACT Fidelity

Research suggests that as an ACT program achieves high fidelity according to the Dartmouth Assertive Community Treatment Scale (DACTS), they can expect to achieve improved client outcomes as indicated by the ACT model. OCCA provides a fidelity assessment based on the DACTS, a report describing in detail the findings of the assessment and recommendations for each item, and training/ consultation based on the findings discussed in the DACTS report.

ACT-Specific Training

OCCA provides many trainings based on any given component or concept used by the ACT model. Some of the trainings are a full day (6 hours) or more, others can be tapered down to 2 hours depending on the topic and purpose of the training. Again, OCCA refers to the organizational need and goal when providing training.

Non-ACT Specific Training

OCCA offers a number of trainings not specific to ACT, but related to the model and mental health services as a whole. As ACT touches many facets of the mental health system, it’s often indirectly related more than we realize. Contact Jon Ramos, (513) 458-6684, for more information.